At Ticket Pro, Mike Quinton works at finding the best seats for clients for events such as Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb 2. at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Hour Photo/Alex von Kleydorff

At Ticket Pro, Mike Quinton works at finding the best seats for clients for events such as Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb 2. at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

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Part I of a Super Bowl series leading up to the big game, Feb. 2.

Part I of a Super Bowl series leading up to the big game, Feb. 2.

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Super Bowl XLVIII tickets command SUPER prices

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Editor's Note: Part I of a Super Bowl series leading up to the big game, Feb. 2.

NORWALK — With virtually no tickets made available to the general public in the initial distribution of Super Bowl XLVIII tickets, be prepared to dig deeply into your pockets for pricey secondary market tickets to the hottest sporting event to hit the tri-state area.

The Feb. 2 matchup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey is the first cold weather game to be played in the northeast in the Super Bowl’s 48-year history.

“This Super Bowl is the biggest thing in sports history and it’s right in our back yard,” said Mike Quinton, sales manager for Ticket Pro. “It’s tough to guess how many tickets we’ll sell, but I expect that we’ll see the biggest spike in sales about five days before the game, and sales will probably be more than we’ve ever sold for any event.”

With the coveted tickets currently ranging in price from a nosebleed upper level seat at $2,591 to a level 3 suite selling for $1,030,000, fans can expect those prices to escalate depending on several factors, according to Quinton.

As game day looms closer, people will make a decision based on the teams and weather.

“There are a lot of variables in pricing. People are waiting to know which teams will be playing, and the weather will be a factor,” Quinton said. “Right now, $2,600 to $3,000 will get you into the building, and I expect that we’ll see those prices go up.”

Ticket sales have been brisk at Norwalk Ticket Pro on Connecticut Avenue, but within a week of the game is when Quinton expects to be swamped with sales.

"This is the first cold weather Super Bowl, and the fact that it was so cold last week may have held some people back," he said. "But we've been through that weather and it definitely won't get any colder than that."

The sky is the limit on ticket pricing.

“Ticket prices are based on supply and demand, the closer we get to the Super Bowl, the higher the likelihood that ticket prices will increase,” Ray Cooke, Norwalk Ticket Pro co-owner said.

Addressing high ticket prices, Cooke pointed to the NFL raising the face value of Super Bowl tickets. For example, he said tickets at the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans had a face value of $1,250, this year comparable tickets are likely to spike to $2,600.

"The NFL more than doubled the face value from last year," Cooke said.

The tickets are tightly-held by the league and here's how the NFL breaks down the initial ticket distribution:

Participating teams share: 35 percent

Host teams (NYG/NYJ) share: 6.2 percent

The remaining 28 NFL teams share 33.6 percent (1.2 percent each)

The League retains 25.2 percent, and then sells tickets to media members, media partners and corporate sponsors.

The tickets are tightly held, even for NFL insiders.

"Even former NFL players can purchase just two tickets a piece," Cooke said.

The NFL allocates 1 percent of tickets to the general public through a lottery system.

"There are no seats available to the general public, with the exception of a small amount of those won by lottery," said Quinton. "To get one of those, you’d have a better chance of winning the actual lottery.”

For the lucky few who may have won lottery spots to attend, the NFL has tightened up its rules.

“This is the first year that the NFL isn’t shipping tickets to lottery winners,” said Cooke. “The tickets have to be picked up the day of the game and once they’re in the stadium they aren’t allowed to leave. This changes the dynamics of how tickets are being sold to prevent resale.”

Corporations and sponsors make up a large portion of where Ticket Pro acquires tickets and people who may have ties or may be affiliated with the NFL present or past.

“We have an excellent relationship with corporate ticketholders and the NFL,” Quinton said. "We've been doing business with them for a long time, and they trust us.”

How does Ticket Pro differ from a resale ticket site such as Stub Hub?

"Stub Hub is an aggregate site. You could be buying tickets, let's say from a 21-year-old kid in Alabama and you don't know what you're getting," Quinton said. "If the tickets aren't legitimate, you'll get a refund from Stub Hub, but that doesn't do you any good if you miss the game."

One New Jersey man, has accused the NFL of pricing average fans out of the Super Bowl and has filed suit against the League according to ESPN.com.

“Josh Finkelman of New Brunswick says the NFL made only 1 percent of all tickets available to the public for purchase at face value. He says that means most fans must buy their tickets on the secondary market, where sellers can command thousands of dollars,” according to ESPN.

Finkelman claims the NFL is violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

If there’s any silver lining to the increased price of Super Bowl tickets, it would be demographics. Approximately 50 million people live within 200 miles of MetLife Stadium, which would translate to a savings in lodging and transportation.

"For people in the tri-state area, this year hotels are not an issue. It’s not difficult to get to the game, the trains can get you there directly," said Quinton "The increased amount you may be paying for tickets is offset by the savings on travel and hotels.”

The weather for the Super Bowl may help keep price increases in check for outdoor seats, but the expectation is that cold weather will boost sales of the most expensive seats — the luxury boxes. Sold this year by the NFL, prices are starting at $400,000.

For those who want to get out of the cold, you and 29 of your closests friends may reserve a 500 level suite complete with catering, transportation and a $1,300 beverage credit. at the current cost of a mere $678,000.

From a ticketing perspective what would Quinton’s dream matchup be?

"Best case to me would be Seattle and Denver,” Quinton said. “There’s a huge rivalry there. The Patriots would be good too because they’re somewhat local so they have geography on their side.”